Anti-fouling shot pattern control device

ABSTRACT

In a known type of shot gun muzzle device comprising an outer apertured cage mounted by an adapter to the gun muzzle and containing a shot-passing tube spaced from the muzzle and adapter to provide a gas release gap, the invention provides an apertured interceptor serving to prevent or minimize entry of shell wad debris into the outer cage apertures.

United States Patent 11 1 Pachmayr et al. 45 N 6, 1973 [54] ANTI-FOULING SHOT PATTERN CONTROL 1,127,250 2/1915 Humm 89/14 D DEVICE 2,447,205 8/l948 Powell 42/79 [76] Inventors: Frank A. Pachmayr, 7528 Sorenson FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Ave., Los Angeles; Jack R. Farrar, 48,612 5/1910 Switzerland. 89/14 C 2845 Medill Place, Whittier, both QfQaliL, M, 7 WM Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant ExaminerC. T. Jordan [22] Filed: May 1972 Attorney-H. Calvin White et a]. [21] Appl. No.: 249,823

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. (:1. 42/79 a known type of 14 muzzle device comprising [51] lint. Cl. F4lc 21/18 an outer apertured cage mounted by an adapter to the [58] Field 01' Search 42 79 89/14 B 14 c gun muzzle and maining shot-Passing tube Spaced 239/14 D, 14 15:14 from the muzzle and adapter to provide a gas release gap, the invention provides an apertured interceptor 56] References Cited serving to prevent or minimize entry of shell wad debris UNITED STATES PATENTS into the outer cage apertures.

3,367,055 2/1968 Powell 42/79 3 C m 5 r n Figures 1 2,589,171 3/ 1 9 5 2 Vir( )r 1da V r-- l g i I l Ei p W I \Q} 1 v 17 1:7 35 14 j 1 Z 15 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,205, one type of shot gun muzzle device employs an outer apertured cage having an adapter mounting to the gun barrel and containing a shot-passing tube, the forward end of which is threaded into the cage with the rear end of the tube spaced from the adapter to form a gap from which the shell gases generated upon firing are vented out through the cage apertures. Commonly, the shell wads have thin appendages, sometimes longitudinally split, which leave the gun barrel in conjunction with the shot charge and upon traversing the gap before entering the shot tube tend to disintegrate at least partially into debris that may enter and partially clog the cage apertures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has for its general object to prevent or minimize blockage of the cage apertures by providing within the inter-tube and adaptor gap an interceptor which in effect separates free wad particles from the outwardly vented gases and in so doing guides them into the shot tube in advance of allowing them to enter or foul the cage apertures. So functioning, the interceptor is made in tubular apertured form and is so accommodated as to span the gap inwardly opposite the cage aperture subject to fouling. Preferably the interceptor is separately formed of resilient metal, such as spring steel, and is retainable in fixed position by tightening of the shot tube to press the interceptor against the adaptor.

In a preferred form the interceptor is made of relatively thin resilient metal in stamped and circularly rolled form having apertures, such as longitudinal slots,

and split to allow generally radial flexibility to facilitate its insertion in the cage. To provide for terminal bearing engagement against the adapter and shot tube and spacing from the wall of the cage, the interceptor may be formed with terminal flanges which facilitate both axial alignment of the interceptor relative to the tube and cage and circularly uniform spacing from the cage wall.

The invention also contemplates the provision of interceptors in other forms, typically as a coil spring bridging the gas release gap and-held in pressed engagement with the adapter by rotational adjustment of the shot tube. As a specific illustration, the spring may be continued to encircle the shot tube for confinement between the adapter and an enlarged threaded end of the tube.

These as well as additional features and objects'of the invention will be more clearly and fully understood from the following detailed. description of illustratiye embodiments wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a variational form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 5 are illustrative of a known type of shot gun muzzle device embodying the interceptor feature of the invention. As heretofore constructed this type of device has been made to comprise a tubular cage 10 the wall of which is slotted or apertured as at 1 1 to provide for the venting of gases released upon the firing of a shot gun shell. It will be understood that the cage apertures may have any of various configurations, the angular form shown being merely illustrative. The slots may continue to and intersect at the bottom of the cage so as toform chevron-shaped openings. The cage is mounted to the gun'muzzle 12 by an adaptor 13 at the rear of a gap 14 traversed axially of the device by the shell wad and in conjunction with the shot charge before entering the shot tube 15. The later is annularly spaced at 16 from the forward extent of the cageand has an integrally formed head or nut 17 of shot control tube 15 threaded at 18 into the cage. The tube may have any of the various bore configurations selectable to'control the shot emission pattern upon discharge from the tube. Again merely as illustrative,-the tube bore is shown to have a flared inlet end 19 beyond which the bore has a degree of forward taper.

In reference to the gap 14, its axial length is predetermined in relation to the shell wad and shot charge so that at least the wad will traverse the gap before entry into the tube 16. As previously indicated the wads in present day shot gun shells have thin trailing appendages, sometimes slitted at circular intervals, which may tend to become disintegrated by the force of the shell blast, freeing particles tending to accumulate within and clog the apertures 11 at the outside of the gap. It is a major object of the invention to intercept such wad particles before their entry to the cage apertures and in a' manner allo'wingrelease of gases from the gap region through the cage while directing the total wadp articles and'shot into'the tube 15'.

For this purpose an apertured tubular interceptor 20 is accommodated within the device to bridge the gap 14. The preferred interceptor as detailed in FIG. 2 may be made of thin spring steel as a stamping 21 containing longitudinal slots 22 and rolled into essentially circular form, see FIG. 3, leaving a split or gap at 23. In its cirto bear respectively against the inner ends of the shot tube and adaptor 13. Peripherally the flange 24 is recessed at circularly spaced intervals 26 to allow communication between the gap 14 and thespace about the .shot tube 15.

The interceptor 20 is inserted within the cage before insertion of the shot tube which is turned as permitted FIG. 3 is an end elevationof the interceptor as viewed from plane 3-3 of FIG. 2;

by the threads 18 to securely confine the interceptor between the mouth of the tube and the adaptor 13 as shown in FIG. 1. Upon discharge of the wad and following shot charge from the barrel 12, the wad and charge are guided by the interceptor into the tube and simultaneously the gases being vented outwardly through the slots 22 are in effect filtered by the narrowness of the slots so' that freed wad debris along with the body of the wad itself have guided entry into the shot tube.

The variational form of FIG. 5 employs as a substitute for the described interceptor, a coil spring 27 which also bridges the gap 14 and is of open configuration to permit the gas release and filtering effect. Although an interceptor in the form of a coil spring may be accommodated in various manners, a simple approach is to place about the tube 15 a spring 27 of sufficient length to bridge the gap 14 and bear against the inner end of the adaptor 13. To ease the axial resistance of the spring it may be formed with gap-bridging turns 27a of smaller diameter wire having reduced resistance to axial compression as the shot tube is tightened into the cage.

We claim:

1. ln a shotgun muzzle device of the type having an outer apertured tubular cage mountable to the end of a gun barrel by an adapter and containing a shotpassing tube annularly spaced from the cage and mounted to the forward end thereof, the rear inner end of the tube being spaced forwardly from the adapter to provide a gap from which shell firing gases are vented to atmosphere through the cage apertures; the improvement comprising a tubular apertured insert in said gap opposite the cage apertures and serving to intercept shell wad debris from entry into the cage apertures, said insert having the form of an apertured relatively thin tubular element spaced from an apertured extent of the cage and having terminal flanges bearing against the adapter and shot-passing tube.

2. The improvement of claim 1 in which said insert is longitudinally slotted and also split throughout its length.

3. The improvement of claim 2 in which said insert ment within said gap. 

1. In a shotgun muzzle device of the type having an outer apertured tubular cage mountable to the end of a gun barrel by an adapter and containing a shot-passing tube annularly spaced from the cage and mounted to the forward end thereof, the rear inner end of the tube being spaced forwardly from the adapter to provide a gap from which shell firing gases are vented to atmosphere through the cage apertures; the improvement comprising a tubular apertured insert in said gap opposite the cage apertures and serving to intercept shell wad debris from entry into the cage apertures, said insert having the form of an apertured relatively thin tubular element spaced from an apertured extent of the cage and having terminal flanges bearing against the adapter and shot-passing tube.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 in which said insert is longitudinally slotted and also split throughout its length.
 3. The improvement of claim 2 in which said insert is formed of spring steel and has radially flexed confinement within said gap. 